CD Laboratory for Surface Engineering of high-performance Components

This CD Laboratory researches extremely resistant and wear-reducing coatings for highly stressed components in diverse industrial applications, ranging from the aviation and automotive sectors to energy production. These novel coating materials are intended to enhance efficiency, increase sustainability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Increasing the efficiency of existing systems is essential to meet the significant challenges in climate protection and sustainability, as the demand for energy and mobility is continuously growing. This CD Laboratory for surface technology of high-performance components aims to explore novel coating materials and functional coating designs to increase application-related efficiency. In particular, new, more environmentally friendly surface solutions for highly stressed components are in focus. Prominent examples are turbine components used in modern engines, such as stationary heat engines and gas turbines, or in electricity generation from hydropower and processes for generating renewable energies.

One of the most significant challenges in high-performance components is the wide variety of material types, which require customized interface designs between the coating and base materials. Examples of such materials to be coated include composite materials (polymer metals or ceramic metals), various types of steel, Ni- or Co-based superalloys, and other high-temperature materials up to new kinds of intermetallic compounds. In addition, additively manufactured components open up a new growth area that requires the development of innovative coatings, as their surface topography, microstructure, and morphology are not comparable with conventionally manufactured components.

This CD Laboratory aims to research coatings that increase highly stressed precision components' service life and durability. This results in positive effects on environmental problems, such as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a general improvement in the sustainability of the resources used.